Young - CHECK
Female - CHECK
A mother (of five) - CHECK
An outsider - CHECK
Hunts and shoots - CHECK
Against abortion and same-sex marriage - CHECK
Has mixed-race credentials (her husband is Yup-ik Eskimo) - CHECK
She is less a running mate, more a collection of polling qualities.
The idea, naturally, is that she'll appeal to all those women who wanted Hillary Clinton, that she answers the Democrat's "change" agenda because of the reforms she's enacted in Alaska as governer
Yet the most unappetising thing about her is that she shores up McCain's appeal to the religious right, because of her anti-abortion stance and belief in creationism, and to its most reactionary supporters. "See, we're not sexist or racist," it telegraphs - "we have a WOMAN VP candidate who has an ethnic husband. See. See!"